Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays an important morphogenetic role, acting through GABA-A receptors, which are depolarizing in the developing rat brain. Other molecules with major morphogenetic roles are the nitric oxide free radical (NO(.)) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), both of which are involved in the control of synaptic plasticity and apoptosis. In the present work, we investigated the effect of GABA-A receptor activation on neuronal NO(.) synthase (nNOS) and BDNF immunoreactivity in the developing cortex of 5-day-old rats. We also determined the effect of GABA-A receptor activation on phosphorylated cAMP-response element binding protein (pCREB) immunoreactivity in an effort to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved. Our results show that activation of GABA-A receptors leads to increased numbers of nNOS, BDNF and pCREB, as well as nNOS-pCREB and BDNF-pCREB doubly immunopositive cells. This effect is abolished when L-type Ca(2+) channels are blocked. These results indicate that the following mechanism could be operating: depolarization following GABA-A receptor activation leads to opening of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels, resulting in an increased Ca(2+) influx, which in turn leads to phosphorylation and, thus, activation, of the transcription factor CREB; the phosphorylated CREB can then induce BDNF, as well as nNOS.